2 more Democratic senators endorse gay marriage

Two red-state Democratic senators endorsed gay marriage on Friday morning, leaving only four members of the caucus who still oppose same-sex nuptials.

North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp and Indiana’s Joe Donnelly followed the low-key playbook most Democratic senators have employed as they’ve reversed their stances and backed gay marriage in recent weeks. Heitkamp e-mailed a statement to the press, while Donnelly took to Facebook. Both also choose a Friday to announce their support, pushing their moves even further below their average constituent’s radar.

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“In speaking with North Dakotans from every corner of our great state, and much personal reflection, I have concluded the federal government should no longer discriminate against people who want to make lifelong, loving commitments to each other or interfere in personal, private, and intimate relationships,” Heitkamp said in her statement. “I view the ability of anyone to marry as a logical extension of this belief. The makeup of families is changing, but the importance of family is enduring.”

Donnelly portrayed his move as part of an embrace of gay rights over time.

“I voted to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and was an original supporter of the bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against someone in the workplace because of their sexual orientation,” he wrote. “It is also for that reason that I oppose amending either Indiana’s or our nation’s constitution to enshrine in those documents an ‘us’ and a ‘them,’ instead of a ‘we.’ With the recent Supreme Court arguments and accompanying public discussion of same-sex marriage, I have been thinking about my past positions and votes. In doing so, I have concluded that the right thing to do is to support marriage equality for all.”

Both senators were only elected in November, and aren’t up for reelection until 2018. While running, Heitkamp said gay marriage should be left to the states. Donnelly said marriage was between a man and a woman.

Democratic Sens. Bill Nelson of Florida, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Tom Carper of Delaware all endorsed gay marriage earlier this week, one week after two days of Supreme Court hearings on the topic. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) also became the second Republican in the upper chamber to support marriage equality.

The only remaining Democratic senators who oppose gay marriage are West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, South Dakota’s Tim Johnson and Mark Pryor of Arkansas. Johnson is retiring. Pryor and Landrieu are up for reelection in 2014.